Thursday, March 15, 2012

Around Plainedge; circa 1976

Who doesn't love historic photos? Furthermore, who doesn't love historic photos of shopping centers? From the mid-70s? Jackpot! Luckilly, the Plainedge Public Library of working class town Plainedge, New York (Long Island) caters to the needs of those looking for popular restaurant and supermarket chains peppered in its "circa 1976" historic scanned photo album. Many of the submitted photos here are from Plainedge area towns Bethpage, Seaford, Massapequa and the like. If you live around there, maybe you can identify the landscape 36 years later. Here's some of the highlights...

Most of these sites, like their chains, are gone today. I know Arthur Treacher's husk is on Washington St. here in Middletown, CT as a Subway while the Kawasaki dealership on Silas Deane Highway in Wethersfield was likely a Hardee's. An unmistakable 70's Burger King with original lettering from the 60s-era of the chain before playscapes or drive-thrus eye-sored the frontage of the many tacky-blue roofed BK's of today. And oh, that classic shingled Dunkin' Donuts with that circular donut logo that only came to the attention of the chain upon its 60th anniversary is here before many of them decayed by the 90's.

There's about 7 pages worth of great sepia-tinged views into the past. If you like banks, gas stations, diners and popular establishments, take a look. We hope to unearth more of these gems and encourage more libraries to make their digital collections available to everyone.We simply ask you do not reproduce these photos on any sites a la Flickr.

Not sure if that A&P was actually North Massapequa (looks like it), in which case it was right across the street from that Waldbaum's pictured. If my memory serves me, many of the former Arthur Treacher's locations became a chain called McMichael's during the 80s (still served fish). When that went under, quite a few became Taco Bell. Also interesting to see how Hill's was like Stop & Shop is now (everywhere).